All You Need to Know
by Lycthem
Summary: I'm out on a self-proclaimed mission. I'm out to tell everyone I know all they need to know about everything. Even if it takes all of my time, even when things get rough. And I'm starting with Yamato and friendship. [taito][on hold]
1. Advantage

**Title:** All You Need to Know (About Friendship)

**Chapter:** Advantage (1/?)

**Author:** Charlie (Lycthem)

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership over DIGIMON. I'm just a teen with a computer and an idea that decided to scream it's way into said computer. 

**Warnings:** Liberal use of foul language. Mutilated words. Abundance of fragments. Teenage crap. 

            **All You Need to Know (About Friendship)**

            01.       -Advantage-****

There are two unwritten rules in the world about truth. Well, I'm sure that there are more, but I'm going to focus on these two. If you want an honest opinion go to a small kid. They have nothing to lose and haven't yet had the chance to have their brain washed. And secondly, never underestimate the power of good sarcasm. More often than not, the person wielding that sword is giving you their honest opinion, but is too scared about what your reaction may be. 

Then again, they might just like being mean. 

My friends call me Tai. 

My parents named me Taichi. 

I love football, and I suck at good sarcasm. 

Must be why I'm good with the whole to your face honest shit and get compared more than I'd like to a kid. 

I'm also on a self proclaimed mission. 

I'm out to let each person in my world know all they need to know about everything. I started with friendship, of course, since that seems to be one of the most difficult topics these days. No one bothers to have any real friends anymore, and I think someone should fix that. Since no one wanted to, I took it upon myself.

When I first ran the idea through my best friend Yamato (doesn't that give you the mental image of the idea literally running through him?) he had the misconception that I was trying to take away his reason to live. He has this _thing_ where he thinks that he's the one who knows the most about friendship and all that. I think he honestly believes that's true, but I don't know. I mean, I don't think there's only one person who knows all about friendship. See, told you I wasn't very good at that sarcasm thing. 

Anyway, when I told Yamato about that idea, he seemed to think I was crazy. After all, who takes something as weird as that as a goal. Teaching people all you need to know about a certain subject. And as I so greatly, if my opinion counts for something, said to him, I said:

"I'm not going to show the whole world all about friendship. That would be stupid, and there's no way the whole world is going to listen to me about something like that. D'you know how many people there are in the world?"

He was sitting in one of those blown up couches that I always think are about to explode if you just touch it, and he rolled his eyes. I hate it when people roll their eyes, it's about as annoying as when people raise one of their brows. I mean, who really needs to do that. They only want to show off or show that they can be aloof or whatever. Yamato thinks it looks cool. Says I'm jealous because I can't do it. Raise one brow, I mean. Anyone can roll his or her eyes. So I continued:

"I'm just going to tell, maybe show, the people that I know, all they need to know about friendship. There's a difference. You can learn all about something, but everything isn't going to be useful. There are some things that are necessary and some things that you can do without. I'm going to focus on the things you need to know, not the things you want to know (which is everything). And if some things you wanted to know turn out to be things you need to know, than all the better for you, right?"

He looked at me with that odd look people get when someone who they think is crazy is talking weird shit to them, but I could tell that he was interested in what I was saying. I can tell because I know him since we were wee (I've always wanted to say that) and he tilts his head a little when he's paying much attention to what you're saying. Reminds me of a dog, and I told him so once, we got into a fight over it. Apparently he's very touchy about that. 

He then asked me how I planned to do that. If I was planning of giving special classes and all. I'm sure he was being sarcastic but really wanted to know, and I told him he was being silly. I told him I was going to be myself, just adding that to my list of things to do in life. It's not like I wanted to show them all in a day. Even famous people would have trouble with that deadline. Hah, turned out I was right. I didn't do it in a day. But I did manage to do it in a week. And for me, well, that's pretty darn fast. Even if it was only about friendship. But then again, I'm not sure I managed to cover everything.

***

Most days start pretty early for me. I know I'm far from an early riser, but they start early just the same. First, my mother wakes up to make some breakfast. Then a few minutes later my dad gets up and Kari is close to follow. You don't know how hard it is to sleep when the house is full of activities like that. Someone's taking a bath, someone else is cooking, the other's watching TV, honestly, it's summer. Vacation. You're not supposed to even know that this time of day exists during summer. It's written on the life manual! Just look it up!

So I have to wake up. 

There's nothing much to do in the morning and I know this because I've lived through enough summers to realize this. Most shows are for kiddies or else it's news and I don't like seeing all that gore and tragedy so early in the morning, thank you. I woke up that first day with every intention of visiting Yamato to work on my plan. 

See, I can be organized if I want to. It's in my DNA, you'll never meet someone as organized as my father. I can seriously bet on that. He's even neater than Jyou for crying out loud, and Jyou's pretty neat what with all his allergies and stuff. So I ate my breakfast, (mom's cooking, I don't know how I'm still alive now), and headed towards Yamato's. 

I walk almost everywhere, that's what you get when you're father's adamant with the fact that you're too young to drive and blah. You see some pretty interesting stuff that way, but I don't remember seeing much that day. Think I was too focused on getting there. 

I caught Yamato's father leaving (that's how early I was), and saw that Yamato was still sleeping. Lucky bastard, still, I didn't let him sleep for long. Threw him off the bed I did. And when that didn't wake him, I just sat on him until he did. But he's cool when he's waking up, didn't even hit me. But I think that had more to do with him not being able to see properly than with him not wanting to hit me. 

The planning didn't take much of our time. Turned out we -and when I say we I mean I- don't have the dedication to spend so much time on one thing. I should've thought about that since we've known each other for so long, and when one knows someone for a long time, you tend to predict how most things will come out. Of course, that takes dedication and that's just what I was telling you we didn't have. Figures. 

We did manage, however, to make one of those agendas that have these outlines of what you're supposed to do. Yamato wasn't much help; he was mostly on his bed playing with that guitar of his. I swear he had this obsession with it; it's not even funny. Heh, never mind that. It is pretty funny. Except when he gets all _territorial_ about it. I mean, once when he was acting really pissy I picked it up and, man, did he throw a fit. You know those dogs that just had puppies, how if you even _think_ of standing near one of them they start yapping and barking and you swear they're off to bite your hand off? Well, he was worse. 

Still, the outline came out pretty neat and everything was set in only a few minutes. That was cool cause it left the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted to do. It took a while before we decided just to pig around the house, but it was fun. Then again it's _us_ I'm talking about. We're so fun. And I'm not even being sarcastic here.

While we were pigging out in the couch something interesting did happen, though. We were watching this horrible show about some people that were stuck in a room and couldn't get out and they spend a whole hour just whining instead of looking for a way out only to realize that the back door was open all along. Anyway, Yamato got all freaky all of the sudden during the middle of the show. Not freaky as in girl in the Exorcist or anything like that, I mean nervous-freaky. Probably should've said that in the first place, huh?

So, he got all nervous and I could tell cause he was all fidgety and all, and I asked him what was wrong and he looked at me for a second then back at the TV, and I swear he said this in the weirdest voice, he said:

"Oh, nothing's wrong."

I mean, what's up with that?

I could completely tell something was wrong, and I told him so, because I'm not one to keep something like that in my head. And you know what he had the guts to do? He turned off the TV and left. Of course by the time he did that the show was already over, but really, if something's wrong, aren't you supposed to be able to tell your best friend about it? Talk things through or whatever it is that the saying says and stuff?

Thank goodness I'd decided to go through with that teaching the people I know all they need to know about friendship. Yamato should know that he can count on me with everything. It's just something friends know, right?

Besides, what up with acting all weird in that part where the two guys kissed? Sure, it's not like it's something you see all the time, but that's not something to be all freaky about either. Hell, he gets along just fine with Daisuke and Ken, and hell if they're not together and very mushy-mushy most of the time. 

That kept me thinking the rest of the day, even after Yamato returned and started acting all normal. But I'm sure that's what he was doing, acting. Yamato's pretty good at it. I don't know whether that's such a good thing. It was stupid of me not to ask again, though. I now realize that. Could've saved us both a lot of shit. 

***

I had to go home at the end of the day, I don't know why but my mother didn't let me sleep over at Yamato's. Probably had something to do with the fact that I'd been sleeping over so much that it seemed my house was just the place I changed clothes in. If that much. And Yamato didn't seem as put off as he normally did when I didn't stay to sleep, he always tried to convince my mother (most of the time getting his way) but this time he didn't even try. Just shrugged as if it were beyond his control. Sheesh. 

I decided to clear off him the next day. It was stupid of me, you don't have to tell me I already know, but I didn't want to deal with all the things one had to deal with when a friend is in trouble. How hypocritical of me, since I was supposed to be showing people all you needed to know about friendship. Guess I should've decided to show them all they needed to know about being a friend and actually know it myself. And that's when I had that epiphany of mine. Epi, I like to call it. Yeah, I named my epiphany, so what?

Instead of focusing on all the people I knew, (which I now admit would've been pretty hard since it was summer vacation and all and most of my closest friends were out of the country) why not concentrate on one person. I'd take one person to teach friendship, then another person to teach something else and so on and so forth. Now, tell me...Wasn't that a beautiful epiphany? Marvelous, I'd say. And that's what I decided to do. 

So Yamato was my target, and getting him to know all you needed to know about friendship (and therefore being a friend) was my mission. And I had no time limit to complete it. I remember I did this little dance in the middle of the street and almost got hit by a car. I was out buying ice cream since it was hot and nothing else came to mind. After buying that ice cream I went directly to Yamato's house. Because I had to tell him, you see?

And damnit if I didn't have worse timing. Still, it could've been worse. I could've never made it at all. 

***

****

The first thing you need to know about friendship is that what you say matters. And after you know this you have to realize that what you _don't_ say matters too. 

I'm pretty oblivious most of the time, as I'm sure most people are as well, and say things that I don't mean in the spur of the moment. I also refrain from saying things that I should say. I'm not about to go into one of those sappy, always tell the people you love that you love them or it may be too late crap. I admit that might be true, but you won't be getting a lecture of that from me. Call Sora if you really want to hear one, hers is pretty good. (Long too so be ready). 

No, I'm talking about saying what you think and telling the truth. See, most of the time I match up what I'm saying. The truth is very important in friendships. Friendships based on lies rarely, if ever, come through. Mostly because, sooner or later, everything comes out. You can't keep something a secret forever, (and if you do, can you please tell me how?). It's just not possible. People are made flawed that way. 

Was Yamato breaking some rule about friendship by lying to me about everything being normal? Hell no! Being a friend doesn't mean being a saint. You don't have to say the truth all the time, people lie all the time. But it's better not to lie about things that count. Not when friendships get broken because of said lies. 

I read this story (it was a _short_ one!) and it was about this little lie that kept getting bigger and bigger because the little girl was always adding another layer, etc. At the end, that little lie had turned into a big lie, and I'm turning into a girl with all these girly metaphors and shit. Excuse me while I go clean my ears. 

Sorry. Got off track there. I tend to do that a lot. 

Now, what you say matters. What you don't say matters as well. 

So I went that afternoon to tell Yamato just that because it was my mission and he is my friend.

The idiot was baking a cake; I thought he was trying to kill himself. Show's you how much I know about life. 

When I got there (the door was open) I immediately headed towards the kitchen. Yamato's house is much like mine, and if you enter and see that he's not in the living room, and that no music is making its way to your ears, then it's a safe bet that Yamato's in the kitchen. That boy loves to cook, and I swear if he wasn't so damn good at it, I'd complain it was (aside from music) all he ever thought about. 

Thankfully he was very good at it because I'm pretty sure he'd be insulted if I ever told him that. 

Anyway, he was holding this humongous knife. And take me seriously here; I'm not one to waste a word like humongous over something that wasn't huge. That should've been the first tip off; no one tries to kill themselves with a big knife in the kitchen with many ingredients around. At least I don't think so. Still, in my defense, it was pretty suspicious. How the hell was I supposed to know that he was cleaning it? I mean it's not like you needed a knife to bake a cake, right? Even I know that much. Idiot me of course, I jumped to an erroneous conclusion. 

"Don't!" I yelled. It was pretty stupid, now that I think of it, but as I yelled it all I could think about was, why would he want to kill himself. "Don't do it!"

Yamato turned to look at me with that cursed raised brow of his, knife still in hand, and said in the flattest voice ever: "Don't do _what?_"

'Don't kill yourself', I was going to say. But thankfully I thought that one through first. It was pretty silly to think that. And I was just going to remain there staring at him without saying anything until he spoke. Quite rudely might I add.

"Don't cook? Come it off, Taichi, what's up with you now?" he turned back to his cooking, placing the knife back in it's drawer (I was quick to notice that) and I headed to him to overlook his cooking. 

I love watching people cook. I used to do it to Mimi all the time, until she got tired of it and told me that it distracted her. When I found out that Yamato didn't mind I was quick to take advantage of that. It pissed him off now, though.

"What do you want?" he said. Man, did he sound pissed. I half expected him to take out that knife again and cut my head off. Heh, seems the knife affected me more than I thought. 

"Hey." I said defensively. "Can't a guy visit his best friend without any ulterior motives?"

I heard him snort, but he didn't even grace me with a look. The bastard. 

He didn't want to deal with me at the moment, I could tell, so I had to spend the whole time sitting on the kitchen table (yeah, on the table, you have a problem with that?) and just waiting until he acknowledged me. Kind of stupid, since he obviously didn't want to talk to me, but I did it.

When he was done placing the soon to be cake on the oven and washing everything and placing everything where it was supposed to be (he was stalling, can you tell?) he finally turned to look at me. 

"What now?" he asked for the third time. I don't know what bug bit him, but he was acting more paranoid than ever, and between you and me, that's a lot. I shrugged since there really was nothing I wanted to tell him. Somehow I didn't think telling him about Epi was going to go so smoothly with him.

He frowned and then told me quite clearly: "Then leave, please."

I was about to protest, when I saw he was serious. I think that was the first time I had ever been seriously thrown out of his house. And in the week that was to come I was to find out that it wouldn't be the last. With one last look at his determined face, I left. 

It felt weird, I knew there was something wrong, but he didn't want to admit it. And I left with only one thought in mind. Maybe this friendship thing isn't the best thing to do at the moment. I mean it was suddenly causing all this shit between us. So I did the only thing I could think of doing at the moment. I went over to Sora's. 

***

****

 **A/N:** Well, here it is. This is completely different than anything I've posted, I won't go as far as to say written since I've written many like this, but there you go. I hope the writing style is easy to understand, it sort of rambles a lot, but I just wanted to write something were it was like the flow of Taichi's thoughts expressed in words. As if he's telling the story as it comes to him. 

I'd really appreciate some feedback here because I'm unsure of whether this style or my other is better for story telling. Still, it's an adventure and I'm liking it a lot. Updates will come on Mondays, except when inspiration comes in the middle of the week, and I'll probably cave and post something between Mondays. See you then!

~Charlie****


	2. Brainless Banter

**Title:** All You Need to Know (About Friendship)****

**Chapter:** Brainless Banter (2/?)****

**Author:** Lycthem****

**Disclaimer:** See Part One. ****

**Warnings:** Liberal use of foul language. Mutilated words. Abundance of fragments. Teenage crap.****

****

**                        All You Need to Know (About Friendship)**

                                    02.       -Brainless Banter-

I have this dictionary, very awesome dictionary by the way, and one of the first things I did after I had Epi was look for certain words in it. Friendship, for one. Yeah, I know, obvious. It's incredible, it shows the different possible roots of the word, brief history, synonyms, antonyms, and about a million and one different things I don't even need. It's so huge they couldn't fit it into one book so they had to make three tomes of it. Imagine each tome is about three inches thick!

Anyway, lazy as I am about school, I love that dictionary. I think it was my mother who bought it one day; I'm not sure. What I do know is that it's a pretty amazing book and I try to hear for new words sometimes just to look for them up here. 

One time, some of the guys were here watching movies and whatever, and Koushirou told me he had one like it for his computer. Anyway, in those days I was obsessed with the dictionary and I asked him to give me the CD. He installed it in my computer and all, and so when I got home that afternoon after Yamato threw me out, I went directly to the dictionary. 

I typed different words, (sometimes when I have nothing to do I write the word that I'm supposedly feeling at the moment to read about it, stupid since I really don't like to read) and started spending time. The only down side is that most 'bad words' didn't come up on it. Some did those, and those were hilarious. The definitions were so technical and the roots part said the most stupid things. I mean, do you know where the word "fuck" comes from? Hilarious, I say.

Sora wasn't at her place, she had gone out with her mom to visit someone, and I didn't stay long enough to ask whom, so I went back home. It sucks when someone you hoped to spend the day with throws you out like that, I'm sure it doesn't happen to just anyone, I mean, come on, but it sucks. I mean, you're supposed to be a good friend and spend time, hang out. Besides, it wasn't like I had done something wrong to him. 

I had left a message on Sora's answering machine and was waiting for her call. I called her again at about 8pm (Sora's the type of person who always forgets to call back); I was watching this really horrible black and white movie and was starting to get bored. It was a disappointment since I love old movies, but I stayed watching it in hopes it would get better as it went by. 

Anyway, she had gone shopping as well and she told me about a few things she had bought and I was listening and watching the TV at the same time. I don't know what it is about girls that they like to tell other people what they bought and whatever. Not that all girls are like that, Sora isn't most of the time, but I don't know, most are.

Guys don't call other people to talk about clothes they bought or what they did in the day. Maybe if it was something like a game or about a girl, but most of the time no. I just chalk it up to being a girl thing and don't try to think too much about it. Besides, Sora doesn't have an annoying voice. Maybe if she did I'd tell her I wasn't really interested in what she was saying, but she doesn't so I don't. 

So, we were taking about things, she was a bit more hyper than usual so I wasn't talking much, but I managed to tell her (slip in, actually) that Yamato had thrown me out earlier today. She then said, "You're not at Yamato's place?"

I was puzzled, I mean, of course I wasn't there. And I told her so. Heh, sheesh, why did I say that? That woman started rambling about something or other. Her voice had gone into this ultrasonic tone, the one I'm used to categorizing as her upset voice, and I had to take the telephone off my ear. It's hurtful, you know? Feels like your brain's about to melt. 

"Okay, Sora! Stop!" I yelled at her to bring her back. She really goes sometimes, man. She stopped talking, I have this very dominating voice apparently, or so I'm told. "What's the big deal?"

"Tai." she said, and it was in this very patronizing voice. I remember cause it irked me at the moment that she was using that tone on me. I hate it because it's like people think they're superior to you. That they know more than you, and it just irks me.  "You always spend _today _with Yamato."

Now, if the emphasis were placed on always, that would've made more sense to me at the time. I was always at Yamato's, so it made sense. But the keyword was today, except I had no idea what today was. It's something about summer vacation, I just completely forget the days, I have to be reminded all the time, because even if only a day goes by it seems it's always Saturday until that fateful Sunday (which can in actuality be a Monday or Tuesday or whatever...) that gives in to that weekday when school starts. 

When I didn't answer, since I was busy thinking, she told me. Impatient girl she is, that one. 

"Taichi! Today's the day --"

And I remembered.

"Fuck!" I meant that fuck with every fiber of my being. I continued to curse at my stupidity (I have a very extended 'foul language' database in my brain). When I calmed down enough not to curse with every other word, I spent enough time telling Sora I'd talk to her later before hanging up. 

I immediately dialed Yamato's number. He didn't pick up. 

Fuck. 

***

Once upon a time there was a little boy who had this incredible life. His family got along well; there were the usual disputes, but nothing that could sever their ties as a family. He had many wonderful friends, he knew he was loved and he enjoyed a sport that became, not only his obsession but also his pride. He had a sister he could torment, and a cat that tormented him. He also had two best friends. One, a girl he could talk about football and life with. Another, a boy he could talk about everything with. 

That other boy's life was not so perfect. His family had split. His mother had left with his younger brother, and he was left with his father. His always-working father. The little boy with the incredible life -we'll call him T- saw that his friend -in this case, Y- always looked sad at the beginning of summer. It was odd; you were supposed to be happy that school ended. And then he learned why. 

Y's mother and brother had left during that time.

And so T said they should make a pact. A promise. They would always be best friends, and that day would be spent together and it would be _for _them. There would be no bad thoughts that day. Y didn't like the idea at first, but T insisted. Y could never resist T for long, and he saw that they could have fun that day. And so a promise was born. A pact was made. 

A pact that I so stupidly had forgotten because, ha, I can't keep track of days during summer. 

You know how in most sci-fi movies and whatever there are times people move so fast it seems everything else goes so slow in comparison? Well, I don't know what came over me, but I made my way to the blonde guy's house in record time. Hell, if I'd've had a stopwatch or something and had the sense to time myself you would've been amazed. I swear it was surreal. 

I went up the stairs up to his apartment (the elevator took too long to reach the lobby), and by the time I reached the door I was panting, and my thoughts were all in a jumble. Even though I'm physically fit, and train like hell, that was a hell of a long run. Imagine a smoker, would've died right then and there. But I don't smoke, makes it hard to be a good football player if you can't even keep your wind, huh?

So, I knocked on the door like a mad man, and I think that Yamato was a bit scared when he opened the door. Okay, his expression was blank, he tends to be like that when he's mad or annoyed or blank or many other things, but I'm his best friend and I know he'd get a bit scared if someone started pounding on your door like a mad man as I did. Hell, I'd be scared and I'm no pansy. 

Then again, he could've not been because he might've known it was only me. 

I needed to apologize. Heavens, I'd forgotten something so important, and friends don't do that. So much for trying to show him all he needed to know about the damn subject.

At the beginning it was kind of stupid, he wasn't talking and I couldn't talk because I knew I'd only say a few words then be interrupted by gasps and it's annoying, so I didn't want to do it. He also didn't let me in, stayed in the door as if I were some kind of stranger. 

When I finally opened my mouth to severely apologize, the bastard moved aside to let me in. I looked at him and started to form the words and he shook his head. 'Let it go' that meant. So I did. 

As I entered the house I couldn't help but turn around and smile at the guy. And you know what he did; he smiled back. 

Man, I love that bastard. 

***

There are some things friends just know. 

Sometimes it's irritating because they know stuff you never said, and you didn't want them to know. But they know you and they can read you, therefore they know. But it's cool as well because; say one's in one corner of the class and the other's all the way to the other side. You can actually talk without talking. Now, if that isn't cool to you, well then I feel sorry for you. Cause it's pretty cool to me. 

I pride myself in my grand ability to most of the time correctly interpret what my friends are trying to tell me. Still, that ability's nothing compared to Yamato's but that guy's weird in his own way. Anyway, Mimi's pretty good at it too. Except that girl really _knows_ when you're lying. Man, you change the smallest detail, say the vase you broke was blue instead of pink and that girl's already looking at you with that 'don't lie to me' look. That gal's one of the cleverest people I know, and knowing people like Jyou, Koushirou, Ken, Miyako, that's saying something. 

Kari also knows. It's freaky sometimes, she just looks at you and she knows. Anything. Everything. Hell, if she weren't my sister that'd freak me out, but when you see (and know) someone since they were in diapers you can't really take that childish image from your head. That aside, friends are cool like that. They know and everyone, I guess, knows that friends know. You following me, or did I lose you?

Okay, enough of the blabber-dabber shit. Yamato and I spent the rest of the day doing whatever we felt like doing. You know how some friends get together to do one special thing? Like, come to my house to watch a movie. Or, I got this new video game, wanna come play? Well, we don't do stuff like that anymore. I mean, sometimes if I don't want to do what Yamato is doing I get up and do whatever I want to do. That's the kind of trust I have in this house. 

Also in Sora's house. And I probably go as far to say that I could be that liberal at all of my close friend's houses, and it's true I could. But sometimes I think that'd feel weird. I mean, I know Yamato and Sora in ways that I'm sorry to say I don't know the others. But they have their best friends that know them, so all's cool. 

We were watching this old show; it was a Christmas special, what the hell it was doing in normal programming is beyond me. It was a singing contest and talent contest all in one and we were both starting to get bored, so I told Yamato about the fair that was coming in three days. You probably don't know the story, but there's this fair that comes yearly here to Odaiba. Well, not actually to the city, but there's this huge spot just in the outers that's just big enough for the fair. It's more of a fair/carnival, now that I think about it, and it had the coolest games and entertainments. 

Once there was this freak show thing where a woman was supposed to have two heads. But I have this friend, actually he was first Kari's friend but whatever, anyway, his name's Daisuke and we'd all gone together as a group to the fair. He was really excited about seeing the two-headed woman, and after making that horribly long line we got in. He was so fucking jumpy he ran to her to touch her and the head fell out of the freaking neck! You can imagine the embarrassment that woman must've felt at being discovered she was just a fraud.

Anyway, Yamato and I have this tradition (we have like a billion of them) and every time we can we go to the fair and spend the day there. Last year we went every single day. It left us broke for so long and I couldn't buy that new soccer ball I wanted, but it was so cool. We rode the one that spins you around, the one you're standing in a wall and the thing just spins and spins, we rode that one so much we both ended up puking our food. It was so disgusting, but after a few minutes and another drink to take away the taste, we were back on it again. 

He got all excited for a moment, and then shut down again. He's weird like that, constantly changing emotions, but I called him up on it. 

"You remember back when I went to visit my aunt in Kyoto a few summers back?"

Did I remember? Damn, that was the most boring month ever! I was literally on the verge of taking all my hair out. In fact, I shaved off half of each my eyebrows because I was so bored. Thank god for caps and that hair grows so fast because I looked so ridiculous. 

He knew I remembered and continued; "Well I met this girl over there, she's the one I told you about that has that weird dog? The thing is, she's coming to visit Odaiba this week, in two days actually, she wants to come study here or something. And I'm her designated tour man. Because she wants to get a feel of the place before she decides it its here or some college or other in America."

"So what?" 

Really, what was the problem?

"We're not going to be able to go to the fair, then." He said.

Now, I can read Yamato and all that shit, but I was lost. I had no idea what the guy was talking about. Where did he come up with that reasoning? It wasn't as if the girl couldn't come as well. But Yamato was determined that it couldn't be and that made the next few minutes suck. 

"Hand me the chips." I said to break the silence, and started eating the sour cream and onion chips. I hate sour cream and onion, but I ate it anyway. Things then went back to relative normality, and I shoved the pissed off me back into a deep spot in my brain. 

Later that night I called my mother to tell her I would be sleeping at Yamato's. She agreed and I stayed. He wouldn't get off the hook so easily. I wanted to go to the fair and I would be going to the fair. And he _was_ going with me. I would make him; that damn girl in the city or not. 

And everyone _knows _I'm stubborn as hell. 

You don't need friendship to figure that out. 

***

**A/N:** This story has me so excited and happy, that's so weird. I also like this deadline thing  (I'm trying to stop being such a big procrastinator) and this helps if only a bit. I know the chapter is really not that exciting, it's just that it seems so much more interesting in my head. I just hope I didn't bore you all to death. 

Thanks to those of you who took the time to review, The La/=/er, HMPH, Luna Wolf aka Matt4ever, I'm glad y'all liked it. :D

~Charlie


	3. Centripetal Force

**Title:** All You Need to Know (About Friendship)****

**Chapter:** Centripetal Force (3/?)****

**Author:** Lycthem****

**Disclaimer:** See Part One. ****

**Warnings:** Liberal use of foul language. Mutilated words. Abundance of fragments. Teenage crap.****

****

**                        All You Need to Know (About Friendship)**

                                    03.       -Centripetal Force-

"Damnit, I'm out of buy thingies. Can't I borrow one of yours?"

We spent the whole night playing Telefunque, and I was out of the little buying tokens you use to get a card you want from the discard pile. It's irritating because you get ten at the beginning of the game and they have to last you through the whole game. I think that's unfair, you have about five or six rounds to play and every time you want to pick up a card from the discard pile you have to give up one of the tokens and take two from the taking pile. 

Anyway, it was the second to last round, I was out of tokens, and it was my hand. That means that if I don't get the cards I need to lower my hand to the table, then the points are multiplied by three. And yes, I was worried. 

It's an old woman game, I know, and up to about three months ago it was right up there with bingo and every other game you're not supposed to tell people you play because they'll think you're weird. And it wasn't even my idea to show myself the game; I'm not that innovative, not all the time anyway. Koushirou was the one to show this game to Mimi, who in turn showed it to Sora, who then taught Yamato, who I'm sure you're already aware taught me. And it's addictive as hell!

So we spent the whole night playing the game and went to sleep very late in the night, or very early in the morning, depends on you, I guess. I know most people would find more entertaining ways to spend a night out, probably go to the movies or something, but after damaging the Nintendo (I wanted to try this thing my cousin had told me to try, where you put a little water in the console and it's supposed to damage the chip enough so that the game is passed and all) we had to do _something_. Besides, I like it; it's fun. 

"Oh no." Yamato laughed. He did this in a very evil worthy way, except he thinks it's a great laugh and it's not that much. "You were the one who wanted to buy everything in the last hand, lose like a man."

I frowned at him, "But I don't want to lose!" I picked up another from the normal pile, ten of diamonds. I kept it in my hand and discarded the ace of hearts. Better to get rid of all the high cards if the end is near. 

In the next turn, I picked up a joker (Which normally is great 'cause it can be any card you want, but since I couldn't do anything else and Yamato finished his game it meant an extra twenty-five points). 

"I win." Yamato said clearly. He placed the winning cards on the table and discarded the last one he didn't need. I looked at him for a few seconds with lowered lids. 

"Really, Yama. You couldn't' wait one more turn, couldn't you?"

He placed his hands behind his head and shrugged. It was awkward but somehow he managed it. After that we went to sleep. It was late and he was gloating all the time. 

I left earlier than usual the next morning, most of the time I stay to sleep there I leave late in the afternoon, sometimes stay for more than one night, but that day I was barely through with breakfast and I was already out the door.

I made my way home quick enough and lasted there just so I could get my football and change into something more comfortable. I left a note to my mother, she's very strict about knowing where her kids are, and headed to the park to train a bit. 

I have no problems with playing or training by myself. People think I loved being surrounded by everyone, that I always need an audience, and it's true most of the time. I like telling the jokes and causing the laughs, being the center of attention. But I'm sure everyone appreciates his or her alone time, and I'm not immune to that fact. 

Relaxation comes easily to me when I'm training, there's something about the easiness of football, I don't know, it just flows through me with such ease I can think about everything but the game and it doesn't matter. Whoever it was that said a guy couldn't multitask was severely mistaken. When I'm training I can do anything. 

The fair was in my mind a lot in those days, so it was no wonder that I started to think about it as soon as my mind became blank enough. Well, not so much the fair as why Yamato was so against going to it now that Kiira was coming to visit. It wasn't as if the girl wouldn't enjoy it, she was only a year older than us, and somehow I don't think that by being eighteen somehow fairs are above you. Maybe he didn't want to go and was blaming it on her being there? 

I did nothing more that day. After training a bit more I went home and there I did what I do most days I'm stuck there. I locked myself in my room and started listening to music, sometimes even playing video games until I bored myself. There was always food around, but that's a given when you're talking about me, but then that was all I did. 

Before leaving Yamato's house he's asked if I wanted to go with him to pick Kiira up. I said no. I wasn't very happy with him after canceling our plans and for all my negative thinking about that girl; I didn't want her to hate me at first sight. And if I met her at the airport I was sure her first impression of me was not bound to be a good one. 

Her flight was arriving at midday the next day. Yamato called again to see if I was sure about not going. I was. Sora called to see why I hadn't talked to her that day. I didn't know. I turned on the radio and started listening to the music. And it was in that haze, the heat of the room, and the strums of an imaginary guitar and low voices that I fell asleep. 

I don't remember my dreams, I don't know if I did dream anything that day. All I know is that I woke up at eleven the next day feeling as if I'd run a marathon and had suddenly stopped. My heart was pounding and not two seconds had passed when the phone began to ring. 

It was my mother. 

Hikari had been in an accident. 

***

You know those few minutes after you've woken up, those minutes where it seems everything that happens is not part of the real world? That everything that's happening seems to be part of your dreams? Well, most of the times I can't remember my dreams, but as I turned on my mother's car and made my way to the hospital I could only hope that this was a nightmare and that I still hadn't woken up. 

But those minutes passed by, the fogginess and the dreamlike quality faded and things turned sharp. I was awake, this wasn't a dream and Hikari was really in the hospital. 

She was at a party the night before, and since she was going with a group of friends all the girls would stay over and sleep at one of the girl's house. I parked the car and made my way into the hospital as quickly as I could. In no time I was taken to Hikari's empty room, my mom and dad were there. They were giving her, a few stitches, nothing mayor had happened, broken arm, she'll be fine. 

I thanked the heavens she was okay as I hugged my mother. She was crying so much it scared me, my dad looked so shocked he couldn't even move. And I was left there, confused as to why this had happened to us. No, confused as to why this had happened to Hikari. While we waited for her to be taken back to the room, we had asked for a private one, my baby sister was the only thing in my mind. 

Most of the times I've been most scared in my life can be directly or indirectly attributed to something that happened to Kari. Look at that, attributed, as if it were some kind of experiment. But it's true. I'm very protective of her. I'm not sure if I'm making myself clear, sometimes I tend to ramble in a different way when I'm telling something that's very emotional or whatever. I don't express things correctly, I think. 

I was at the hospital with Hikari when Yamato was looking for Kiira at the airport. Sora was also at the hospital, and so was Takeru. 

We were all in the small room, the doctors half wanted to take everyone out, they didn't like it that there were so many people, but you try to fight with us, and it's a losing battle. When we're together, we're invincible. 

And Kari has had more than one close brush with death, and that's more than one time too many. She's like, the gravitational pull, Hikari is. Without gravity, without that pull, all the planets and everything would just go wherever they wanted. But the sun's pull keeps them where they should be. Yeah, I think the world of my sister, just don't tell her that. 

"Come on, you guys, you shouldn't be here. Isn't the fair here yet? Go there!" the little rascal of a sister of mine said from the bed. She had this pink cast that was quite ugly on her right arm and the weirdest band-aid on her cheek.

"It doesn't start till tomorrow." TK said quickly. "Besides we want to be here."

During the pass of time more people dropped by to talk to Kari and be there. I don't know, it's weird, you're at this bed in the hospital, but you're fine, except not really cause some part of you is broken, and people come and see you to wish you well. I find that weird. 

"Oh, well." Kari half-smiled and nodded. 

We were mostly silent, there was nothing to talk about and I was reminded of those awkward gaps that people put in movies, except this one was not one of those. We just weren't talking about anything. Then the door opened and this girl came in. 

No, I'm kidding. This girl didn't come in, this goddess did. I think I drooled a little too. Sora had to shove her elbow into my stomach to make me react. She was fucking -- she was... she _was._ I just looked at her and wanted to sigh and go like, _oh yeah,_ except I knew that would be freaky and. yeah. 

"Kiira!" TK said and went to greet her. "Nice to see you."

She smiled and they hugged and the door opened again. It was another gorgeous creature, and by the looks of him he was related to the first one. 

"Seiyo!"

Seiyo? Yamato never mentioned his cousin was coming. Yamato never mentioned they were _hot._ They introduced us, we said hello and then Yamato came in. While the others were talking about the flight and about Kari, I looked at my best friend with a face that was supposed to transmit the message of 'how could you not tell me that these beautiful creatures existed'? But I don't think it worked all that well.

He looked angry and had his arms crossed and was kind of glaring at Seiyo. I looked at where Yamato was looking then back at him and winked to show he what I was thinking. I think he frowned even more. God knows what was going on in his head, but he didn't talk much at all. 

At the end of the day I had suggested that we go to the fair. Everyone seemed to think it was a good idea and that it would be a great thing to do to. Everyone except Kari and TK, who regrettably were going to stay inside because of Kari's condition, and Yamato. 

But I was happy; the sexy people were going to be at the fair. 

And I had brilliantly coerced Yamato into going. 

Go me!

***

**Note:** Heh, this one's pretty messed up. I find this chapter incredibly hard to understand, and it was hard enough writing it. I had to do it like a million times. I wanted it to come out in a way that most thought patterns occur, all mixed up and you really don't know what's happening. You tell it as you remember it, but you don't completely remember it. But if you didn't understand, please tell me, so I can write with at least 100% more coherency, ok? Or at least something like it. 

**The La/=/er** (I'm so happy you're liking it and found it the last chapt. amusing, that makes my days. Really. And my brother actually did the half shaving of the eyebrow things, so that's were I got it from. It's great to have a steady update schedule, I'd love for my fave author's to have one, but I understand that sometimes you can't. :D) **CrimsonBobble** (I'm trying with the updating thing. _Tryyying_, but so far so good.. I think. And yeah, this'll be an Alternate Universe. It wasn't going to, originally, but I don't think I can handle everybody. Not with this nice leash I've put around my neck.. It's great you're liking this story, I've no idea why personally, but it's fantastic. :P)

~Charlie


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